Super Smash Bros. Melee Wiki Guide

Luigi

When Luigi didn't show in Super Mario 64, Nintendo fans around the world requested a return of the oft-forgotten second Mario brother. A hidden character in the original Super Smash Bros., Luigi finally got his own game on GameCube: Luigi's Mansion. Though Luigi in SSBM doesn't have his ghost-sucking vaccuum cleaner, he isn't a simple Mario clone either. As a matter of fact, players accustomed to Mario are likely going to be surprised and perform miserably the first time they play as Luigi.

Luigi is a hidden character and needs to be unlocked before you can play as him. Luigi's appearance depends entirely on your level time for the first Adventure mode level. The time stops the moment you jump the "flag" finish line at the end of the Mushroom Kingdom sidescrolling level. Look at your seconds counter and try to time it so that you get a "2" (as in Luigi, the #2 Mario Brother) in your seconds (like 22, 52, 24, etc). If you got it right, you will see Luigi appear over Princess Peach's Castle in Adventure mode during a cut-scene. Complete the Adventure and he will appear after the credits. Defeat him and he's yours.

Gameplay TipsAs one of the Super Mario Bros., one would assume Luigi to be a clone of his brother Mario. However, if you take enough time to explore his move list you'll quickly find he has several differences and a few tricks up his sleeve too. When you first take hold of Luigi, you'll notice that controlling him just feels different than controlling Mario. This is due to the fact that he can jump higher than his brother and also tends to slip and slide a little more -- so be careful around the edges. His third uppercut jump goes straight up, so if you're facing the wrong direction or too far off the ledge you'll fall into the oblivion.

The moves that Luigi does share with Mario are balanced differently. Luigi's smash uppercut (Up+A), for instance delivers a more powerful blow. Being one of Luigi's most effective attacks it comes highly recommended. Use it as much as possible -- when opponents are falling from above, in close quarters, etc. Additionally, another very strong attack is Luigi's 360-degree leg sweep, a Down+A smash attack. This is also slightly stronger than Mario's, and because it hits in a full circle is a perfect way to get opponents off of your back. A less powerful but faster moving alternative is the Luigi Cyclone, which lets you give your opponents a taste of life from tornado alley. A two-part attack, you'll find the initial spin is not as powerful as the second more powerful punch, and you are not able to float nearly as high as Mario can by tapping the B-button repeatedly. So, if you decide to use the Luigi Cyclone make sure you're in close enough proximity.

More importantly, Luigi has a few wild moves his brother would probably never consider using. New to Smash Bros. is the Green Missile. Luigi propels himself across the screen like a rocket or, more appropriately, missile. The move is smash attack, performed by pressing Left or Right+B, depending on the direction you want to go. By holding down the B-button you can charge-up and soar into opponents, setting them ablaze upon impact with a harsh blow. The game indicates that one out of every eight times the Luigi Missile will "misfire," sending him forward at full force regardless of a charge-up. This can work both for and against you, as if you overshoot you will rocket straight to your death. This brings up an important point. The Green Missile can be used defensively, as a recovering move. Where you would most often attempt to triple jump your way back to the platform, the Green Missile is a resourceful alternative. If you're knocked high enough try using it as a substitute for his third jump.

Also one of Luigi's unique attacks is his somewhat sissy-like, no-look rolling fists of fury. Where Mario will slide feet-first into opponents, Luigi's running dash has him frantically throwing his fists into opponents faces. It's a fairly strong attack, but is almost more comical than anything else. Until you get good at dodging and rolling away from opponents with Luigi, it's probably a better idea to jump into big brawls instead of running into them with this attack, as it leaves you open for attack for a brief second. We've found that Luigi's simpler air attacks such as his downward kick (Down+A in air) and heel kick (A in air) are both very effective, and quite strong too.

One of his best and most damaging attacks is his Super Uppercut. You have to be very close to your opponent, touching them in fact, to use it. If performed correctly it will send them sky high in a ball of fire. If you miss, though, you'll be humiliated by its weakness of roughly one damage point. So use it in moderation. As a final note, you will notice that his fireball floats horizontally and does not bounce off of the ground like Mario's. We've found that it's not quite as handy as Mario's, but is equally powerful when you're standing just to the side of your foes. All things considered, though, Luigi is a great character with plenty of crafty moves. Be sure to give him a try.

Move

Button / Combination

Additional Info

Fireball

B

Shoots floating fireballs left or right

Green Missile

Right / Left + B

Flies horizontally into opponents

Super Jump Punch

Up + B

Use as attack or to get back on stage

Luigi Cyclone

Down + B (repeatedly)

Tap B while spinning to float up

Double Jump

Y / Up (in the air)

Standard double jump

Punch

A

Standard punch attack

Punch/Kick Combo

A (repeatedly)

Classic Mario 64 attack combo

Flurry Attack

A (while running)

Quick girlie slap combo

Uppercut

Up + A

Strong high attack/defense

Medium Kick

Right / Left + A

Strong medium attack

Low Kick

Down + A

Strong lower attack

Headbutt Smash

Up + A(Smash)

Charge the Smash Move by holding A

Karate Smash

Right / Left + A(Smash)

Charge the Smash Move by holding A

Spin Smash

Down + A(Smash)

Charge the Smash Move by holding A

Bicycle Kick

Up + A (in the air)

Midair Attack: Up

Backwards Kick

Left + A (in the air)

Midair Attack: Back

Star Chop

Right + A (in the air)

Midair Attack: Front

Downward Kick

Down + A (in the air)

Midair Attack: Down

Flying Attack

A or Z (in the air)

Midair Attack

Grab

L + A / R + A / Z

Must be close to opponent

Grab Attack

Grab opponent, then hit A

Must be close to opponent

Upward Throw

Grab opponent, then Up

Must be close to opponent

Forward Spin Throw

Grab opponent, then Right

Must be close to opponent

Backward Spin Throw

Grab opponent, then Left

Must be close to opponent

Slam Throw

Grab opponent, then Down

Must be close to opponent

Shield

L or R (analog: strength/size)

Shield can be shifted with stick

Roll Backward

L or R + Left (Smash)

Defensive roll move

Roll Forward

L or R + Right (Smash)

Defensive roll move

Dodge

L or R + Down (Smash)

Defensive move

Air Dodge

L / R (in the air)

Control stick determines direction

Pick up / Use Item

A

Effect depends on item

Throw Item

Right/Left + L / R + A

Alternatively throw with Right/Left + Z

Smash Throw

L / R + A + Right/Left (Smash)

Alternatively throw with Right/Left + Z

Drop Item

L / R + A

Alternatively discard item with Z

Climb Up

Up (hanging from edge)

Hit A or B for instant attack

Taunt

Up (D-Pad)

Taunt move / character pose

All moves are based on a character facing to the right.

Origin: Luigi dates all the way back to the beginning days of the Mario Brothers. While he didn't appear alongside his brother Mario in Donkey Kong, the moment Mario got his own game Luigi completed the team. Luigi first popped up as Player 2 in the 1983 Mario Bros. arcade game. Classic fans will know that Smash Bros. more than bears a passing resemblance to the screen and gameplay setup of that particular title. Since then, Luigi has continued to play second fiddle to Mario until he finally landed the starring role in... No, not Luigi's Mansion -- Mario is Missing! for the NES (and later SNES). In this edutainment title, Bowser kidnaps Mario and Luigi springs into action to rescue him. In 2001, Luigi finally got his first full-fledge title role with Luigi's Mansion. Here's hoping the Poltergust vaccuum cleaner makes it into the next incarnation of Super Smash Bros.